The best e-commerce and retail tech events for founders in 2027 are the ones where online brands meet retail buyers, investors and the tools they need, and where young companies get a cheaper ticket or a pitch slot. These are the ten worth planning around, from Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne, London and Barcelona to New York and Las Vegas.
We chose events for two kinds of founders: those who sell (direct-to-consumer brands and online shops) and those who build retail technology. Europe comes first, with the big American shows where retail budgets are set. We checked every date on the organiser's own website and mark each one as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (reliable second source only) or Expected (based on past editions only). All ten below are Confirmed.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
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Top 10 E-commerce and Retail Tech Startup Events of 2027 at a Glance
The 10 best e-commerce and retail tech startup events of 2027
1. NRF 2027: Retail's Big Show: 10–12 January 2027, New York
Run by the National Retail Federation, this is where the year in retail starts and where large retailers set their technology plans. A founder who sells as a retailer can walk the expo for free with an early Retail Expo Pass, and the Startup Hub and Innovators Showcase are the places to meet young retail tech companies.
2. EuroCIS: 16–18 February 2027, Düsseldorf
Messe Düsseldorf's specialist fair for store and checkout technology, payments, data and AI in retail. Its Start-up Hub is a showcase for young technology companies with retail solutions, which makes it the right fair for a startup that sells to store operators.
3. E-commerce Berlin Expo: 17–18 February 2027, Berlin
The 11th edition of one of Europe's biggest expos dedicated to e-commerce. The organisers count 14,000 visitors, 320 exhibitors and 200 speakers. It is a good, low-cost way to compare shop platforms, logistics, payments and marketing tools in two days.
4. Shoptalk Spring: 22–24 March 2027, Las Vegas
Shoptalk's main American show. The startup ticket for brands is for direct-to-consumer companies less than 5 years old with under $10 million in revenue or funding. Qualifying retailers and brands can also get a free ticket with hosted meetings with technology providers.
5. Retail Technology Show: 21–22 April 2027, London
Brands attend free, and the Start-up Superstars zone is reserved for companies under five years old that have never exhibited at the show, which makes it one of the easiest first stands for a retail tech startup. Business France also brings a group of French retail tech startups to pitch.
6. OMR Festival: 3–5 May 2027, Hamburg
Europe's biggest digital marketing crowd, with talks on e-commerce, platforms and CRM. For women founders it has something rare: the OMR 5050 Gründer*innen Pitch for early-stage startups whose founding teams are equal or majority female. The top 10 pitch to investors in Berlin, and the top 3 appear on the festival stage on 4 May 2027. Applications for the 2027 round are not open yet.
7. Shoptalk Europe: 1–3 June 2027, Barcelona
The densest European meeting of retail buyers, brands and investors. The €395 founder ticket is for direct-to-consumer brands less than 5 years old with under €10 million in annual revenue or funding, and the tech startup rate is for companies founded in the past 5 years with less than €10 million raised. Qualifying retailers and brands can attend free as hosted buyers.
8. CommerceNext: 8–9 June 2027, New York
A practical conference about growing online sales, built for the people who run e-commerce at retailers and consumer brands. Retailers and brands can apply for a free ticket and a travel credit of up to $1,200, which makes the trip to New York much cheaper if your brand qualifies.
9. K5 Future Retail Conference: 22–23 June 2027, Berlin
The meeting place of the German, Austrian and Swiss e-commerce scene, run by K5 from Munich. In 2026 the K5 Startup Pitches let the top 10 direct-to-consumer and retail tech startups pitch to a jury for free; startups had to be active in Germany, Austria or Switzerland and no older than 3 years. The 2027 terms are not out yet.
10. DMEXCO: 22–23 September 2027, Cologne
DMEXCO's Start-up Area is for young companies in marketing, technology, data, e-commerce and AI, with curated pitches on the Start-up Stage. It puts a young commerce tool in front of the large brands and agencies that buy them.
Also worth a look
- Shoptalk Luxe, Abu Dhabi, 2–4 February 2027: Shoptalk's event for luxury and premium brands. shoptalk.com
- eTail Palm Springs, JW Marriott Desert Springs, 22–25 February 2027, and eTail Asia, Equarius Hotel, Sentosa, Singapore, 16–17 March 2027. wbresearch.com
- Retail Week LIVE, Convene 155 Bishopsgate, London, 18 March 2027: a one-day meeting of 700+ UK retail leaders. live.retail-week.com
- World Retail Congress, Marriott, Milan, 10–12 May 2027: the C-level meeting of global retail. worldretailcongress.com
- NRF 2027: Retail's Big Show Asia Pacific, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, 1–3 June 2027. nrfbigshowapac.nrf.com
- eTail UK, Titanic Hotel, Liverpool, 15–16 June 2027. wbresearch.com
- VivaTech, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, 16–19 June 2027: Europe's big tech and startup show, with large retail and luxury groups among its partners. vivatech.com
- eCommerce Expo, ExCeL London, 22–23 September 2027. ecommerceexpo.co.uk
- Shoptalk Fall, Nashville, 5–7 October 2027, and Groceryshop, Las Vegas, 13–15 September 2027. shoptalk.com
- Women in Retail Leadership Summit, Orlando, 26–28 April 2027 (Announced, by invitation): for women leaders at retailers and brands.
Dates not announced yet
- NRF Retail's Big Show Europe (formerly Paris Retail Week): last held on 15–17 September 2026 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles; 2027 dates are not out.
- Seamless Middle East, Dubai: last held on 22–24 September 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre, with a Start-up Village; it promises a 2027 edition without dates.
- Emerce eDay, Amsterdam: the next edition is on 5 November 2026 at De Kromhouthal, with a Startup Alley; no 2027 date yet.
- IRX (Internet Retailing Expo), UK: last held in summer 2026 and moving to a year-round format; no 2027 date on the official site.
- Delivery Conference and E-commerce Expo Stockholm: 2027 dates appear only on third-party listings, so we wait for the organisers.
Why these events matter: e-commerce startups in numbers
- European B2C e-commerce turnover grew 7% in 2024, from €784 billion to €842 billion, according to Ecommerce Europe and EuroCommerce.
- Investors put around $7.3 billion into global e-commerce startup rounds in 2025 up to November, and US e-commerce investment is down more than 80% from its peak, according to Crunchbase News.
- US startups with at least one female founder raised a record $73.6 billion in 2025, 27.7% of US deal value, according to PitchBook data reported by Fortune.
Venture money for online shops is scarce, so profitable growth and the right retail partners count more than ever. See our female founder funding statistics and our guide to online communities for female founders.
How to choose the right e-commerce event
- Know which side you are on. Brands and shops get free or cheap tickets at NRF, Shoptalk, CommerceNext and the Retail Technology Show; technology startups pay more and should look for startup zones and pitch stages.
- Use the startup tickets. Shoptalk Europe (€395), Shoptalk Spring ($750) and K5 (€299) all have founder rates with age and funding limits. Check them before you book a standard ticket.
- Pitch where young companies are welcome. K5 Startup Pitches, the OMR 5050 pitch for female founding teams, DMEXCO's Start-up Stage and the Retail Technology Show's Start-up Superstars zone all take early teams.
- Combine trips. EuroCIS and E-commerce Berlin Expo overlap in February, and Shoptalk Europe and K5 are three weeks apart in June. See more startup competitions with prize money.
- Book meetings before you fly. Shoptalk's hosted meetings and the expo floors fill up; send meeting requests to buyers and partners weeks ahead.
List your event
Do you organise an e-commerce conference, a retail tech pitch or a demo day for online brands? Send us the name, dates, city and official link, and we'll check whether it fits this list.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
🔗 Add an awesome event
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FAQ
What are the best e-commerce startup events in 2027?
Our top picks are Shoptalk Europe in Barcelona, the K5 Future Retail Conference and E-commerce Berlin Expo in Berlin, the OMR Festival in Hamburg, EuroCIS in Düsseldorf, DMEXCO in Cologne, the Retail Technology Show in London, NRF 2027 and CommerceNext in New York, and Shoptalk Spring in Las Vegas.
When is Shoptalk Europe 2027?
On 1–3 June 2027 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona. Startup retailers and consumer brands can get a €395 founder ticket (plus 21% Spanish VAT).
When is NRF 2027: Retail's Big Show?
On 10–12 January 2027 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. Retailers get a free Retail Expo Pass until 30 December 2026.
Which e-commerce events have startup pitch competitions?
K5 in Berlin (K5 Startup Pitches), DMEXCO in Cologne (Start-up Stage) and the OMR 5050 pitch for female founding teams, whose top 3 appear at the OMR Festival on 4 May 2027.
Are there e-commerce events for women founders?
The OMR 5050 Gründer*innen Pitch is for early-stage startups with equal or majority female founding teams. The Women in Retail Leadership Summit in Orlando (26–28 April 2027) is by invitation for women leaders at retailers and brands.
Which retail events are free for brands?
The Retail Technology Show in London is free for retailers and consumer brands, NRF's Retail Expo Pass is free for retailers until 30 December 2026, and Shoptalk and CommerceNext offer free hosted places to qualifying retailers and brands.
How big is European e-commerce?
B2C e-commerce in Europe reached €842 billion in 2024, 7% more than in 2023, according to Ecommerce Europe and EuroCommerce.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
